Don't Be Late
by Tamabonotchi
Summary: ONE-SHOT For Ichigo's birthday. She says she will be back tomorrow, but no sign. Everyone asks him where she is, and he answers the same irritated answer.


**Hello! Here's a one-shot to celebrate Ichigo's birthday, and Bleach for his birthday with the IchiRukiRen shoujo cover, beautiful spread sheet, and wonderfully short nakama reunion and Ichiruki reunion- I love it all. I can't wait to see Orihime!  
Disclaimer: Bleach not by me, Bleach was created by Kubo Tite-sensei. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ichigo stared at the filthy pile of leather, which smelled as bad Kon could get a lot. He looked at it in disbelief then anger replaced his shock.

"What the hell happened to my damn wallet, Rukia?!" He exclaimed, glaring at the shinigami that lay on his bed read one of her stupid manga. She kept reading for a moment, but then turned when she noticed him glaring at her.

"Hm? Did you say something?" She asked, obviously hadn't heard him.

"I said, what the hell happened to my damn wallet?!" He picked up the torn and dirty wallet and held up toward Rukia for her to see.

"Oh that." She commented looking at it. "Chappy was dragging your body away last night when we fighting that hollow, and it fell out. It landed in a puddle I guess." She explained.

"How did it get torn like this?!" Ichigo said. He pointed at rips in the leather.

"Probably from being your body getting dragged, the road had some sharp stones. I also had scissors in my pocket…" Rukia told him, and looked up when she remembered the last part.

"Why the hell did you have scissors in your- no, never mind-" He closed his eyes, and decided he wouldn't ask the question. "What about my wallet?!" He asked her, dangling the wallet at her.

"What am I supposed to do?" Rukia scoffed at him. He grinded his as he glared at her. He threw his wallet on his desk as he stomped out of his room.

"Damn, how am I going to get a new wallet? I don't have enough money for a new one." He mumbled to himself as he ruffled the back of his natural orange hair. His birthday was the day after tomorrow, everyone probably had already bought him a gift.

_'Rukia probably doesn't even know unless someone tells her.' _

-

Rukia continued reading, not paying attention to the wallet on the desk. She had remembered the conversation she had yesterday with Inoue, back at school.

* * *

_Rukia had the lunch Yuzu made for her as she was walking down the hall._

_"Kuchiki-san!" Rukia stopped as she looked over her shoulder. Inoue was running over her with her usual cheerful smile, holding her lunch._

_"Ah… Inoue! What is it?" She gave her a smile as she fully turned to face her._

_"I just wanted to know what you got for Kurosaki-kun for his birthday." She said her. Rukia made a clueless face._

_"Ichigo's birthday?" Rukia said. _

_"You didn't know?! I thought you would know, or Kurosaki-kun would have told you earlier!" Inoue gasped. Rukia looked at her._

_"Why, is his birthday important?" She asked her. _

_"Well-- Kurosaki-kun probably would really like a present from Kuchiki-san for his birthday." Inoue's smile surprised Rukia as she looked at her._

_"So, will you get a present for him?" She asked her, leaning toward her. Rukia saw her large eyes staring right back at her for an answer._

_"Y-yeah, I will." She stuttered. Inoue stood back up straight and gave her another cheerful smile._

_"That's great!" She cheered. Rukia nodded and they both walked up to the roof._

* * *

Rukia still hadn't bought a birthday present for Ichigo since then, and she knew she was almost out of time. She sighed as she dropped the book down on the floor. She turned to look over at the rest of Ichigo's small room. Her eyes moved all around until they stopped on the wallet still on the desk.

"Ichigo probably will need a new wallet then…" She murmured to herself. Her eyes brightened she sat up on his bed.

"That's it! I'll go get him a new wallet!" She jumped off Ichigo's bed and bent down and picked up the manga. She walked out of his bedroom and stepped into Karin's and Yuzu's bedroom she shared with them and tossed her manga onto the hospital bed she was sleeping in. After grabbing her own wallet (Chappy themed) she walked downstairs. Ichigo was in the kitchen as Yuzu was taking out the groceries she bought for dinner.

"I'm leaving." She told them as she continued walking to the door.

"Whatever." Ichigo said.

"Come back soon!" Yuzu called as she slipped on her shoes and opened the door.

"I will." Rukia said as she stepped out, and closed the door behind her.

"Where is Rukia-nee going anyway?" Yuzu asked, looking towards Ichigo. He looked up from his homework.

"I don't know, I don't ask her about everything she is doing." He said, slightly irritated. Everyone seemed to look at him whenever the shinigami left somewhere.

_'It's not like she won't come back again.' _He thought as he focused back on his work.

Rukia was walking down the street. She knew what store she was going to buy the wallet. She was only a few blocks away when she heard her phone ringing. She froze and took it out of her pocket as she opened it up and looked at the screen.

"Soul Society…?" She murmured. She thought it was going to be a small hollow. She read the message and her eyes widened after reading the message. She sighed, and closed her phone. She looked towards the direction of the shop, then towards the Kurosaki Clinic. She sighed as she started walking.

-

She arrived back at the Kurosaki Clinic and walked in, urgently taking off her shoes and hurrying up stairs. Ichigo saw her rush up stairs, and wondered what was wrong. He followed her and found her in his sisters' room, packing.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked shocked.

"Sorry Ichigo, I have to leave and go back to Soul Society." She informed him in as she continued packing.

"What? Why?!" Ichigo asked. He could see she wasn't looking at him at all.

"Ukitake-taicho needs me." She said.

"For what?" Ichigo saw she wasn't telling him any details. Rukia gave an exasperated sigh as she finally stopped and looked up at him.

"Ichigo, it's just to help with the paperwork and an inspection. I won't be gone that long." She told him, assuring him she wouldn't be gone long.

"When will you be back?" Ichigo asked her. Rukia slowly put her back pack straps over her shoulders.

"I shouldn't be gone long- I'll try my best to come back tomorrow." She said as she gave him a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back." She walked past him as she walked down the hall and down the stairs and to the front door. Ichigo quickly followed her.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Meeting point to Soul Society. I can't open the gate myself." She said as she opened the door. She turned back one last time. "Later." She gave him a small smile as she closed the door and 

walked away. Ichigo stared at the door for a few moments before sighing, and turning to go back up stairs. Before he could, Yuzu poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Ichi-nii, where is Rukia-nee going?" She asked with a worried face. "Will she come back?" She asked him.

"Yeah, she will." Ichigo gave her a small smile.

"Will she be back before your birthday?" She asked hopefully.

"She didn't exactly know- but she might be back by tomorrow." He told her, but his voice didn't hold reassurance as he turned to head up stairs.

-

Rukia didn't come back the next day.

Everyone asked him where she was after that. He gave the same answer.

"Why are you asking me?" Then they didn't ask again. Yuzu had told Karin and Ichigo's father what he told her earlier.

"Kurosaki-kun, did Kuchiki-san leave?" He was a bit surprised by Inoue's question. He looked at her before nodding.

"But she'll be back for Kurosaki-kun's birthday." He looked back at her even more surprised. She just gave him a smile.

-

It was Ichigo's birthday.

Everybody told him happy birthday and congratulated him, with his father trying to kick him in morning.

All of his friends gave him gifts during school, and he finally made it back home after school ended.

Yuzu even made a large dinner for him.

"Ichi-nii have you heard if Rukia-nee has come back?" Karin asked him after dinner. Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"Why are you asking me?" He asked.

"Aww, my son is so sensitive on the subject of my third daughter!" Isshin floated toward Ichigo, and was immediately punched in the face. Ichigo stomped up stairs after that and slammed the door behind him as he collapsed onto his bed.

"Dammit, Rukia… You give me so much work when you disappear like that." He grumbled. It was later that night he opened his eyes to the screaming of his badge and he quickly sat up. A hollow. He grabbed his badge and hit it on his chest as his body dropped back to the bed, him out now as a shinigami. He opened the window and swiftly jumped out. He tried to focus and find where the hollow was, and soon locked on the location- the park. He started off toward the where the hollow was when his eyes widened. Another reiatsu appeared and as he finally reached the park when he saw the hollow fall to the ground.

The hollow disappeared and he could see the small figure on the other side.

"Rukia!" Ichigo called, a smile creeping onto his face. She turned to face him and gave him a small smile. He hurried over to her as she took a small package out from inside her shinigami attire.

"Happy birthday, Ichigo! Sorry I'm late- Soul Society was very busy." She explained as she held the package out. Ichigo looked at the bow, and took it in his hand. He opened it up and took out the wallet. The leather was incredibly fine compared to his old one- but it was still his style.

"How?" He asked as he looked astonished at it.

"Since I went out before leaving to go get it, I decided to get it before leaving." She explained as she saw his bright face.

"Rukia…" He mumbled, looking at her. The silence only last a moment until he heard a squeal behind him. Before he could turn to see what it was he felt something grab his head, sending him to the ground. He caught the site of Rukia's black hair but the voice told him it definitely wasn't.

"Rukia-sama has returned to say happy birthday, pyon!" She giggled on top of his body.

"The hell- get off me!" He yelled at her gikongan as he tried to push it off of him, but it stayed on.

"Let's celebrate by making your arm go pyon again, pyon!" She said as she grabbed his left arm.

"W-wait, no! Not again, stop!" He said, not wanting his arm tried to be snapped off another time.

"Get off the idiot, Chappy." Rukia ordered, and Ichigo felt the weight instantly off of him, as he quickly stood up.

Rukia entered her gigai, and it took her a moment to get adjusted. She then looked up at Ichigo.

"Well, can we go home now?" She asked expectedly, looking at him with her eyes looking at him like so many times before.

"When ever you want to go, I was waiting for you." Ichigo started walking as she followed right beside him.

"Then you would have started walking earlier, fool!" She said with her arms crossed.

"I didn't know you were ready, because you were just standing there! Jeez, you think I can read your mind or anything?" He grumbled.

"Obviously not." She said. For the rest of the way they were silent, but the walk back to his home felt normal, like every day when they walked to his home. Both went through his window, and Ichigo quickly went back into his body.

"Good night, Ichigo." Rukia whispered. Ichigo looked up at and saw her usual smile at him. She closed the door and he could hear her foot steps down the hall as they entered the shared room with his sisters. He stayed silent for a moment before giving a small smile and lying down in his bed.

"…Thanks Rukia."

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**Hope you enjoyed! Please comment. Again Happy birthday to Ichigo!**


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